Forty seven sailors have gone missing and six were
confirmed dead as 26 ships have fallen victim to ferocious tornadoes off the
Vietnamese coast in the past week.
The Maritime Search and Co-ordination Center today has halted the search for the
missing crew from Phu Tan ship belonging to Vinalines group; and from the
fishing boat BV 4248 TS after fruitless attempts.
Earlier, six ships and a coastguard helicopter managed to rescue only two out of
a 25-strong crew from Phu Tan and one out of the 21 sailors aboard the BV 4248
TS.
According to the National Flood and Storm Control Center, 214 sailors have been
saved and six dead bodies found.
Among the six victims, three were from Thua Thien-Hue city province, two from Khanh
Hoa province, both in central Vietnam and one from the Phu Tan ship.
Up to now, 47 fishermen are missing, 23 of whom come from the Phu Tan vessel, 21
from Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and the last three from Da Nang City, Thua
Thien-Hue province, and Binh Thuan province.
Quang Ngai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces are the hardest hit, losing seven ships
each while Da Nang city lost five ships.
Better equipment needed
According to the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center, the
rescue team could not be sent in time due to big storms and waves.
The center therefore needs better equipments.
The center also calls for more rescue centers at vulnerable spots along the
Vietnamese coast.
Readers have written to Tuoi Tre, complaining that although tropical monsoons
are seasonal and thus predicted, accidents do happen every year.
As Tuoi Tre finds out, weather forecasts from the Central Forecasting Center
show mere figures and technical terms but no practical advice to fishermen.
The forecast on December 16 said that “seas off the central coast will have
winds ranked at the 8th, 9th level, up to the 11th”.
“On December 17, seas off the central region will undergo winds at the 7th, 8th
level, up to the 9th”.
However, some readers blame the accidents on fishermen, saying they themselves
should have taken more caution and should not have relied totally on the
authorities.
Hard-earned lesson
Pham Van Duc, deputy director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological
Forecasting, told Tuoi Tre that radios and TVs have widely broadcast news about
a monsoon several days before the storm formed.
That was supposed to reach all ships operating in the East Seas, added Duc.
However, he admitted the warning notices would have caught more attention from
fishermen if they had been sent by local authorities rather than through media
broadcasts.
According to Duc, in case there is another typhoon, the news should be sent
through fax, phone calls and emails to relevant authorities who will directly
warn fishermen for stronger effects.
Source: Tuoi Tre